Treating surgical patients with pain medicine requires compassionate care and precision, but when it comes to treating young children, there comes an extra layer of attentiveness.

“Before taking children to surgery, we get the question, ‘Is it going to hurt when I wake up?’” Sarah Hall, MD, PhD, assistant professor of anesthesiology at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, said. “It’s very close to all of our hearts that it’s not an emotionally distressing experience, as we can help it.”

Lung cancer is a complex and devastating disease, especially in the Commonwealth. In fact, Kentuckians are twice as likely as the rest of U.S. citizens to develop squamous cell carcinoma and small-cell lung cancer, both of which are very serious cancers that typically have low survival rates.

Leonard (Leo) Yenwongfai was just 5 years old when he officially solidified his plans to become a doctor. It was after a conversation he had with a physician who was taking care of a family member at the time. That man, also named Leonard, told him, “I want you to be a doctor just like me.”

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) has created a new biospecimen bank to support research on the novel virus. Logistical support for the biobank is led by the UK Markey Cancer Center.

Connor Appelman, a Maysville, Ky., native, knew from an early age that he wanted to attend medical school just 65 miles down U.S. 68 at the University of Kentucky. As he puts it, he has always bled blue.

“I’m very proud of my home state, and I’ve always wanted to take care of patients in Kentucky,” he said. “That was always the goal growing up, to graduate from the UK College of Medicine. It’s gone by quickly, but it’s been amazing to live out the dream.”